Allison dominates at Western Canadians

STRONG MAN Jake Allison, shown at provincials this spring, was the top junior at the Western Canadian championships last month.

Jake Allison has got the power.

The local powerlifter earned top junior honours at the Western Canadian Powerlifting Championships in Kamloops last month.

Competing in the 66-kilogram class, Allison set new provincial records in all three categories — squat, dead lift and bench press — for a combined score of 585 kg to dominate runner-up Janus Antonio Agbing by over 60 kg.

Allison explained he had a lot to do in the days before the meet, but that doesn't mean he was an absolute gym rat.

"A few days out, I was training fairly light and three days out, I did my last warmups," he said. "I needed to drop about nine pounds (four kilograms) for this meet. I was just resting and trying to be ready for the meet."

Allison also reeived good fortune, winning the lottery to weigh in before the others.

"Things were going pretty well. I got to weigh in first, so that helps quite a bit, giving me an extra 20 minutes to rehydrate," he said. "I was feeling really good. I drank about five litres of fluids before I even started warming up and my warmups felt really good on squats. My opening went super well and then same with my second attempt and then I went really heavy on my third and got that. It was a pretty big grinder, but I made it."

Allison now has his eye on the 2018 Canadian Powerlifting Union national championships with the hope of punching a ticket to the world championships through that meet.

Pemby paddlers perform at nationals

Hana Ronayne finished in the top 10 in three Sprint Canoe Kayak Canadian Championship races in Dartmouth, N.S.

The Pemberton paddler took seventh alongside Anna Zhang in the U19 C-2 1000-metre event, eighth in the U16 C-1 200-metre race and ninth, again with Zhang, in the U17 C-2 500-metre race.

Fellow Pemberton competitor Quinn Phare also attended, competing in six events, but did not make the finals in any of them.

The combined Osprey B.C. Enduro Tour and Canadian National Enduro Championships race brought out plenty of competition, with Leonie Picton emerging as the pro women's champion.

Picton edged Laura Battista by 10 seconds for the win.

As for the pro men, Spencer Wight and Shane Gayton hit the top 10 in eighth and ninth, respectively.

In the age-group categories, Jennifer McTavish took the U21 women's division as the lone competitor, while Felix Abraham narrowly missed the podium in fourth for the boys in the same age group. Ian Milley was in the same boat as Abraham in the 15-and-under men's division, also in fourth. Cesar Gairin nabbed the win in the men's 30 to 39 event, while Whistler's Kate Whitley took third in the women's open category.

The evening will be headlined by local Cody Smith, a.k.a The Known One, who will take on Kobra Kai of Los Angeles. Three other events, including a tag-team match, will make up the contest, which begins at 7:30 at Totem Hall (1380 Stawamus Rd.).

Tickets are $15 for front-row seats or $12 for general admission seating.